The 19.5-foot-tall bronze Statue of Freedom by Thomas Crawford crowns the dome of the United States Capitol. The original plaster model for the statue is on display in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, where it is the focal point of Emancipation Hall.

(Fun fact – capitol with an “o” stands for the building; capital with an “a” stands for the city. How to remember? I learned to think of a bell tolling in a building. Clever, right?)

Things to do in the Center:

Visit Exhibition Hall, the only exhibit in the country dedicated to telling the story of Congress and the construction of the U.S. Capitol.

See the Capitol Dome Model — an 11-foot-tall touchable model correct in every architectural detail, 1/20 the size of the original.

Watch the proceedings on the floors of Congress at the House and Senate theaters when…